


The Words Between Them

by crazygirlne



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Double Date, F/M, Fluff, HR+Harry+Cait Shenanigans, Missing Scene, Movie Night, Romance, Snowellsweek2017, Stakeout, Temporary Amnesia, Trapped In A Closet, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-11-30 08:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazygirlne/pseuds/crazygirlne
Summary: Harry and Caitlin are friends, but that's not all they are: they're coworkers, obviously; attracted, of course; flirting, perhaps; getting stuck in cliche situations, always. Mostly, though, what they are to each other is an essential part of home.A Snowells Week 2017 Fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For [Snowells Week](https://snowellsweek.tumblr.com/), I’m doing one story with seven short chapters. It takes place vaguely in Season Three, but Harry never went back to Earth-2, and there’s only tie-in with S3 events when it suits the story. 
> 
> Pairing: Earth-1 Caitlin Snow and Earth-2 Harrison Wells
> 
> Snowells Week Day 1 Prompt: Movie Night

 

“Movie night!” Cisco’s sing-song announcement is accompanied by his appearance in the room. He’s holding his customary bag of popcorn (air-popped, obviously, not microwaved), and he plops down unceremoniously next to Harry.

Harrison Wells turns from Cisco to look at the person sitting on his other side (ignoring, as always, just how easy she is to look at). Caitlin looks amused, her eyes shining before Harry even starts his complaints.

“Remind me again why I agreed to this?” he asks dryly, and Caitlin’s lips twitch.

She bumps his shoulder with hers before retreating back to her cushion, and he absolutely does not feel an unjustified thrill at the brief contact. “Because you and Cisco both insisted your Earth’s movies are the best, and you wanted an impartial judge.”

It’s true, though Harry can’t for the life of him figure out how it got this far. He had some vague idea of him and Cisco each choosing their favorite representation of their Earth’s movies and watching both, which would clearly be followed by Cisco’s admission of defeat, without even needing input from the lovely and brilliant Dr. Snow.

He really should’ve known better than to underestimate Cisco. The younger man put together a viewing schedule that spanned months, with a new movie from each Earth once a week, two in a night. After privately admitting defeat (and while still protesting aloud), Harry converted a spare room in Star Labs into one where they’d all be comfortable for the duration of the competition, with dark walls and a large television and a comfortable couch big enough for the three of them.

In the weeks since the viewings started, Caitlin, who seemed regularly amused by the whole thing, had shifted from necessary, impartial judge to infrequent tie-breaker; Harry and Cisco agreed on a shocking number of movies.

“I’m starting to think you don’t even need me here,” Caitlin continues, voice light as she teases him, already on the same wavelength, as she so often is.

“Of course we need you here, Snow.” His voice is far more sincere than he intended, and Caitlin’s expression shifts to something he can’t quite name but doesn’t think is bad.

“Yeah,” comes Cisco’s voice, breaking the moment and reminding him he isn’t alone in here with Caitlin, “otherwise we’d never have agreed on last week’s movies.” He waits long enough for Harry to turn to face him. “I still can’t believe you thought  _Unending Winter Sky_  was better than  _Gattaca_.”

Before Harrison can again list the numerous and glaringly obvious ways in which  _Unending Winter Sky_  is far superior to a movie that focuses on whether or not society should agree to make people better (to which there is, clearly, never a right answer, except when there is), Cisco’s phone buzzes, and he holds up a hand to forestall Harry’s response.

“Sorry,” says Cisco, “I gotta go help Barry with something. Personal, not Team Flash. I’ll be back before my movie’s over, so we can still watch yours after this.” He stands and looks at Harry and Caitlin, wearing one of his more serious expressions. “Make sure you really pay attention while I’m gone. I don’t want you missing something and deciding yours is better because of it.”

“We’ll watch, Cisco,” Caitlin answers while Harrison stares. Cisco seems to accept this, leaving without any further warnings or admonishments.

Harry and Caitlin exchange a look once they’re alone. He suspects his own is dour, but Caitlin wears the same fond expression she uses for so many on their team. He sighs, relaxing into the comfortable couch, and they turn to the movie. After a few minutes, he snags Cisco’s abandoned bag of popcorn, tilting it so Caitlin can have as much as she wants.

“This is nice,” she says during a lull in the action. He hums his agreement, and she turns to face him properly. “Do you have anything like this back home? People to watch movies with?”

His mind goes blank for a moment as he tries to make sense of her words, and when they click, he pauses the movie to quiet the noise. “You mean on Earth-2,” he clarifies, voice low, before turning to look at her. She’s studying him, eyes reflecting the television’s light, expression serious.

Caitlin nods once. “That’s what I meant, yes. Do you have anybody there?” When he doesn’t respond right away, she continues. “Since Jesse decided to stay here, you don’t really talk about anybody on Earth-2. Things, movies, places, but never people. Never friends or family or home.”

This time, she lets the silence stretch out as he gathers his thoughts, just watches him patiently.

“I don’t really have that there, no,” he says finally. “I did at one time, but work, life… We grew apart. I poured myself into Star Labs.”

“Do you miss it?” Her voice is quiet, understanding even if he thinks she doesn’t get it, not yet. “Star Labs, I mean.”

“Sometimes,” he admits, “but it’s like you said; I miss the places, the things. I miss that it was bright and airy and alive. Star Labs on Earth-2, it didn’t…” He looks away, eyes fixing on the frozen image on the TV.

“It didn’t what, Harry?” Caitlin prompts gently.

“It didn’t have  _you_ ,” he answers, looking back at her. The words settle between them, and Harry takes a breath before he tries again. “It didn’t have you,” he repeats, “or Cisco, or Barry, or Wally or Joe or Iris. I had Jesse, but I didn’t let her in like I should’ve, not at work, and work was too much of my life. I would’ve done anything for her - you know that - but I didn’t realize I was denying her a real family. Denying us both.”

Another breath, a moment in which he considers and discards the possibility of leaving it where it is, pressing play and pretending this never happened. It’s Caitlin Snow he’s talking to, and he needs to know she gets what he’s trying to say.

“Earth-2 isn’t home,” he says, “and the longer I’m here, the less certain I am that it ever really was.”

“This is home.” It falls short of a question, Caitlin’s voice careful but almost hopeful.

“This is home,” he echoes, firmly. Caitlin is serious for seconds longer before her lips turn upward, and she reaches out, covering his hand with hers and squeezing.

“I’m glad.” Caitlin’s smile grows, and Harry feels his attention pulled to her lips for a moment too long before he locks his eyes back onto hers.

“Me too, Snow. Me too.”

He can’t say how long they stay like that, but eventually, she lets go, and he feels only a second’s disappointment before she leans into his side. He stills, hardly breathing until she speaks.

“Don’t tell me I froze you,” she murmurs, and  _oh_ , the fact that she can joke about her powers like that is just proof of how far she’s come from those first, terrified experiences.

Harry exhales, letting his tension go with it, and settles an arm around her shoulders. She gets more comfortable against him, and he looks down at her. She’s facing the TV, ready to continue watching as if nothing’s changed between them.

And it hasn’t changed, not really. So his feelings on  _home_  are out in the open, and there’s this new almost-cuddling thing, which… He’s not exactly complaining.

Still, it feels the same, like they’re still themselves, just with a more open potential for…

He won’t think about it right now. It’s dangerous, with her so perfect against him, so close. It’s much too tempting to act.

So he doesn’t. He starts the movie again, and Caitlin is still against his side when Cisco returns a while later. The younger man takes note, shrugs like it’s nothing unexpected, then plops back down on the sofa.

“Did you leave any popcorn for me?” Cisco asks. “I thought you’d be further into the movie by now.”

Harry hands him back the remaining popcorn, and they bicker about who should make the second batch before the next movie, and Caitlin straightens just enough to chime in without breaking contact, and Harry feels annoyed, and comfortable, and loved, and exasperated.

He feels like he’s home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 2 Prompt: Trapped Together

 

 

Movie nights have been a good addition to her schedule, Caitlin thinks. 

Especially since Harry and Cisco have given up on proving which movies are best. The whole thing has relaxed, and occasionally, other members of Team Flash stop by. No matter who’s coming, though, Harrison Wells starts movie night with an arm around Caitlin Snow.

And nobody seems to care. The biggest reaction they’ve gotten was a stare and a long blink from Wally before he accepted it as wordlessly as everyone else had.

Nobody has said a thing, including Harry and Caitlin themselves; they haven’t said a word about it. They haven’t addressed it with so much as a raised eyebrow between them. They just settle in once a week, Caitlin comfortable against his side, enjoying his surprising warmth and the security of his arm around her. She looks forward to it.

She’s not sure how much longer she can take it not going any further than sitting together on a couch.

Despite the overall relaxation, she finds herself frustrated at times. Like now, when the whole team is relaxing at Star Labs to celebrate the holiday, and when she’s not arguing with him over the best composition of molecules for a hypothetical biological design, she really wants to tuck herself against his side, to touch casually like newly-engaged Iris and Barry. 

It’s been too long since she’s had that in any sort of genuine way, and so much has happened since she last had it with Ronnie. She wants it again, wants to be part of a duo, but not just to avoid being alone; she’s perfectly capable of continuing her life without romance, surrounded by her friends, with her job to keep her busy.

It’s just that she’d rather do it all - the friends, the job, her  _ life _ \- with Harry.

So of course, she can’t quite bring herself to  _ do _ anything about it. Not yet. He’s too important to her. Everyone at Star Labs is, really; she doesn’t take starting a relationship with a friend and coworker lightly. 

Instead, apparently, she stands across the room from the particular friend and coworker she’d like to, you know, press her lips all over, and she pouts about the fact that she’s doing nothing of the sort.

When Cisco asks if she’ll go get the fireworks and meet everyone on the roof, Caitlin finds herself agreeing to the task just to stop thinking about Harrison Wells.

Obviously, he volunteers to help her. She briefly considers turning down his assistance - it’s not like she  _ needs _ the help - but it would look strange turning him down. Besides… He’s one of her favorite people in the multiverse. She doesn’t actually object to spending time with him.

They fall into step beside one another, the silence comfortable enough aside from Caitlin’s internal debate about whether to take his hand or to pick a fight to  _ avoid _ taking his hand, and they reach the special supply closet quickly enough, the one where they keep most of the things that can easily go  _ boom _ .

“After you,” Harry says, gesturing gallantly, a smile playing at his lips. Caitlin feels her own twitch in response, and she enters the closet, scanning the shelves and quickly finding what they need. She hears the quiet snick of the closet door closing, but she dismisses it, the bulk of her concentration instead on the man who’s come right up beside her to help gather everything.

“Nothing terribly dangerous here,” Caitlin says aloud, reminding herself of the same thing: it’s only Harry. She’s not  _ actually _ about to turn around and pull him down to kiss her.

As much as she thinks she’d like to. She can’t even summon a particularly good reason as to why she hasn’t already done it.

She is in so much trouble.

Caitlin distracts herself by silently listing the chemical compounds in the showy explosives while she hands some of them over, and it works.

At least, it works until he smiles fondly down at her, his eyes shining, and she swears he leans in closer.

“Cisco’s outdone himself this year, hasn’t he?” Harrison says, voice low and rough - as if it’s ever  _ not, _ damn him - “Central City will appreciate the show.”

“They should.” Caitlin’s voice is a little unsteady, and it finally pushes her out of whatever stupor she’s found herself in, and she’s able to break eye contact and breathe like a normal, healthy adult. “We might need two trips, even with both of us.” 

There. Her voice sounded nothing at all like a smitten teenager’s that time. She smiles up at Harry, who raises an eyebrow.

“I dunno about that, Snow. We make a pretty good team. I bet we can get them all.”

Crap.

“We do make a good team,” she returns, forcing her voice to remain light, and she quickly spins back to face the special shelving, loading both of them up with a few more things to carry. “Just try not to drop anything,” she reminds them both. 

“I would never,” Harry teases.

Finally, they’re ready to head up to the roof, and Harry leads the way, carefully reaching for the door.

The door that doesn’t open. Caitlin feels a pull at her gut. 

Oh.

Oh, no.

“Cisco was talking about upgrading security,” Caitlin says to Harry’s back, “so anyone who got in wouldn’t be able to get out with anything usable as a weapon.” She pauses, then gives in to the teasing that helps erase any apprehension. “He must have actually finished it. He wanted you to stop giving him a hard time about the lack of security at Star Labs.”

Harry looks up toward the ceiling and knocks his head lightly against the door, hand still on the knob. “So what you’re saying is,” he starts after he stills, “we’re trapped in here because Ramon finally listened to me.”

“That’s… probably accurate, yes.” Caitlin knows the smile in her voice is audible when Harry straightens and sends a mock glare in her direction. She moves back to the shelves, focusing more easily now that there’s a crisis to deal with, and unloads her temperamental cargo.

“I’d imagine he remembered to block cell phone reception, too,” he says on an exhale.

Caitlin retrieves her phone once her hands are empty, glancing at it only briefly before putting it away again. “Looks like it,” she says lightly.

“Fantastic.”

Caitlin can’t quite help it; he sounds so resigned, and the situation is so ridiculous, that she chuckles.

Then she laughs.

She laughs until she can’t breathe, long enough for Harrison to put his fireworks down, as well, long enough for him to join in, his laughter rich and warm.

“I can’t for the life of me figure out why we’re laughing,” he says after they’ve just about stopped.

Caitlin falls quiet before shrugging one shoulder. “I can’t for the life of me remember the last time I was this happy,” she says honestly, “stuck in a volatile closet or not.”

Harry’s smile softens. “I feel much the same, Caitlin.”

The moment lasts too long, his eyes fixed on hers and hers on his, and when it’s too much, she exhales, finding an empty spot along the wall and sliding down it to sit on the floor. She pats the space next to her.

“They’ll notice us missing eventually,” she says, “when they notice they don’t have the fireworks, but we might as well be comfortable while we wait.”

He nods before joining her, and she doesn’t even think about it; as soon as he’s seated so close to her, she leans into his side, and he wraps his arm around her shoulders. They lapse into silence, comfortable once more, her mind mercifully quiet this time, overwhelmed by comfort.

And maybe a little by her refusal to think too hard about where they’re stuck and what’s around them.

“We should do this more often,” Harrison breathes after a few minutes. Caitlin shifts so she can see him, and his arm drops so it’s around her waist instead, hand just above her hip. “Not,” he clarifies, “the getting trapped in a closet part, but this.” He increases the pressure of his palm ever-so-slightly, and he’s watching her, intent. He’s ready to let go if she objects, she can tell, but it looks like he’d rather hold on.

Caitlin swallows. “I’d like that,” she agrees. She thinks maybe there are reasons she should object, but she thinks maybe those reasons were just excuses in the first place, stemming from fear of the unknown elements that are present in any relationships between two sentient beings.

Harry is ridiculously close, with his arm around her waist, her shoulder against his, his leg flush with hers. His face is just inches away, and her breath hitches when his eyes drop to her lips. “Snow,” he whispers, and this time she’s  _ certain _ he leans closer, and as he halves the distance between them, her eyes flutter shut.

Only to fly open at the sound of the door.

“Dude,” comes Cisco’s disgruntled voice as Caitlin blinks up at him, “if you wanted some time alone, you could’ve just said so. We’re all waiting on you two.”

Beside her, Harrison has stilled, his hand keeping her close. He looks away from her slowly, turning his attention to Cisco, who crosses his arms at whatever he sees there.

“We would’ve joined you when we were expected,” Harry says, voice controlled, “but somebody neglected to tell us that the door would lock automatically if it shut.”

“What?” Cisco’s arms fall to his side. “I didn’t… Crap.” A heartbeat, then he crosses his arms again. “Come on, even in those Narnia books, anyone with half a brain knows not to shut themselves in closets.”

Caitlin chuckles, the tension of the previous moments draining from her, and she feels Harry relax with a sigh. He slowly lets go of her, then stands.

“If you’re here, you’re helping us carry everything,” he tells Cisco before reaching down to help Caitlin up. She accepts, giving into the urge to steady herself with a hand against his chest, and they lock eyes again, the quiet moment growing more charged until Cisco clears his throat.

“You know there are other rooms here, right?” he says, and Caitlin blinks as she realizes he’s had time to grab an armful of fireworks. “Rooms that might be a little better fit for all those sparks you two are giving off?”

Harry sighs again, the particular exhalation he seems to save for Cisco, and moves to the shelves after finally letting go of Caitlin’s hand. “Right. You head on upstairs, and we’ll join you in a moment. And do  _ not _ let the door close behind you.”

Cisco snorts. “Got it.” He turns and leaves, and Harry looks after him for a moment before shaking his head. He and Caitlin load themselves back up, and only after they leave the room do they close the door. It’s silent until they’re about to walk out onto the roof, Caitlin’s mind stuck entirely on just how close they were and whether it’ll happen again.

Harry pauses with his hand on the doorknob, and it pulls Caitlin back to the present.

“Don’t tell me this one’s locked, too,” she says, and he shakes his head without turning around.

“I just wanted to say,” Harry starts, turning the knob as he speaks, “what almost happened back there?” He looks back at her, his eyes intent again, and Caitlin swallows as her thoughts crash to a halt. “We should try that again.”

He waits less than a second before turning and pushing through the door, and Caitlin follows him onto the roof, and then they’re surrounded by their friends, and Caitlin lets their smiling faces - and the imminent controlled explosions - distract her from just how much she wants to be alone with Harry again and from wondering just when her next chance might be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, they’ll get their kiss soon enough!
> 
> Amnesia is up for next chapter, which should be available soon since I’m finally home and able to write regularly!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 3 Prompt: Amnesia AU
> 
> Note: I don’t thank ClaudiaRain as often as I should. She lets me ramble at her about anything I write, and she reads my Snowells stuff before I post it so that I don’t convince myself it sucks, and really she’s sort of an amazing friend just all around. So yeah, thank you, ClaudiaRain. You rock.

 

His head is pounding when he opens his eyes, and he blinks (calmly, he hopes) when he sees a gorgeous face peering down at him in concern. He gets a fleeting impression of brilliance, and then…

It’s not _nothing_ that he feels, but he can’t put a name to it, either.

He blinks again when he abruptly realizes that neither can he put a name to _himself._

“How are you feeling?” The woman in front of him reaches out like she wants to touch him, then straightens, studying the monitors around him instead.

Monitors.

“Is this a hospital?” He doesn't startle at his own voice; he wouldn't have been able to say what he sounded like, but when he hears it, it sounds right.

When the pretty woman (doctor, if the lab coat is anything to go by) gives in to her clear desire to place a hand on his shoulder, he gets a similar feeling of rightness, despite the furrow of her brow.

“You don't know where you are?” Her voice is careful now, measured, and it pulls at him. He wants to cover her hand with his, but answers to his many unvoiced questions seem more important.

“Where am I,” he asks, “if not a hospital?” When she hesitates, he continues. “Who are you? Who am _I?_ ”

She swallows and removes her hand, and he catches it without thinking, instinct prompting him to hold it. She pauses before she returns the pressure, taking a breath before she speaks.

“You're Dr. Harrison Wells. You're in Star Labs recovering from trauma. You had an encounter with… Well, we aren't actually sure what he can do yet.”

“Well, it appears to have something to do with memory loss,” he offers dryly, and the woman seems to relax at that, to an extent.

“Yes, it appears so,” she says, almost teasing, before she sobers, grip on his hand tightening almost imperceptibly. “We'll find a way to reverse it, Harry.” She pauses again. “It would help if you tell me what you do remember.”

“I still don't remember your name.”

She blinks down at him, then pastes on a smile. “I'm Dr. Caitlin Snow.”

“Caitlin,” he repeats. When she flushes slightly, he continues. “And what are we to each other, Caitlin? I can't recall, but clearly this is more than a doctor/patient relationship.” He moves their joined hands in illustration.

“We're… colleagues,” she says, with some hesitation, but she neither lets go nor breaks eye contact.

Interesting. Not the most pressing matter right now though, perhaps, despite his impulse to continue the discussion.

“Colleagues,” he echoes before moving on, searching his memory and coming up blank. “I remember nothing. Not what I ate this morning, not where I live, not anything about who I am.”

Dr. Snow doesn't seem as put off by this as he expects. Then again, she probably deduced as much when he asked what his own name was. She squeezes his hand once more before letting go, then reaches for a tablet and pulls up various charts one by one. He squints at the numbers and images. He can't explain all the information individually, but it makes sense to him regardless. He feels Caitlin’s attention on him, almost approving, and when he looks up at her, she arches an eyebrow, waiting.

“My blood work and scans all look good. Everything is within normal parameters. Everything you've checked says I'm healthy as a man half my age.” The last comes out almost in challenge, and a smile plays at her lips.

“I would be more concerned if you weren't acting so much like yourself,” she says. “As it is, I suspect we found the meta who's been causing temporary memory loss. It'll be an annoyance for you, I'm sure, and I'll do everything I can to shorten the duration, but you're gonna be just fine.”

“And how fine am I without even knowing who I am?” He can't quite help the irritation that creeps into his voice (not at her; never at her). “What am I supposed to do, just lie here, useless for… For how long?”

Her smile is both tolerant and understanding. “For most, it lasts about two weeks.” She brings up more scans, these with other people’s names on them. Again, it all makes sense to him in some abstract way. “All your memories are intact, just inaccessible,” she confirms for him. “You're still you, still have access to your normal emotions and attachments, can even use memory in a latent sort of way to make sense of advanced concepts. There's no reason for you to be either bedridden or useless while waiting.”

He takes a moment to process, taking in her easy manner, how her hand reaches toward him again before returning to hold the tablet more securely. It's soothing, all of it, for no reason he can put his finger on.

“You said a meta caused this?” he says finally.

Her smile slips. “Metahuman, a person with powers. One got into Star Labs, and when… When he tried to attack me, you got between us. I was able to scare him off before he got in another hit.”

Something is prodding at him. “And how did you scare him off?”

“That's what you ask?” She sounds exasperated, almost defensive. “I told you that you jumped in front of someone with unknown powers in order to protect me, and you want to know what I did afterward?” It doesn't require a response, and after a moment, she sighs, holding up a hand.

A hand that slowly frosts over, and again, he gets that familiar feeling, that one that says he knows this already.

He wonders whether he knows what her lips feel like.

Shaking his head at the errant thought, he focuses on her hand, waiting until the frost clears to reach out and stroke a finger across her palm. She shivers, and he's not entirely convinced it's from the cold. It makes him bolder, and he takes her hand again, her skin comfortingly cold against his.

“You scared him off using your own metahuman powers. Is this part of it?” he asks after a beat, running a thumb across her hand. “How I seem myself, I mean. This seems very familiar.”

Caitlin hesitates. “We haven't held hands often.”

“But we want to.” The words are automatic; just because he can't remember it doesn't make him any less certain of the truth.

“We want to,” she agrees. She sits down in a chair that lets them stay in contact, and she starts giving him the basic details regarding his own life, regarding her plan of attack for lessening the effects of the metahuman’s attack, which includes having Barry Allen (yet another metahuman, this one very fast) capture the attacker.

Harry frowns. “You said he came here. Do you know why?”

Caitlin shakes her head. “He didn't say anything. He just sort of…” She waves her hand vaguely. “He reached out from across the room, and you stepped between us and collapsed. He didn't come anywhere near you.”

“So it's possible he came here for help,” Harry muses, and Caitlin looks at him for a moment before looking away and nodding.

“It's possible. And I scared him off.” The guilt in her voice startles him, and he sits more upright and slides his free hand against her cheek, tangling it in her hair when she turns to face him again.

“You were protecting us both,” he says firmly. “You didn't use undue force. You saw one attack and stopped a second.”

“You're so sure I didn't do anything wrong?” It's half question, half plea, and it tugs at his heart.

“I might not remember you, Caitlin,” he says, “but I know you.” She leans into his touch, and it's only the remaining trace of guilt in her expression that helps him focus on the problem at hand. “If he was indeed looking for help, that will make it easier to track him down. He'll want to be found. I would presume Barry has some protections against this sort of attack?”

They slip into making plans, and it's surprisingly (unsurprisingly) easy to fall into a rhythm, to understand each other, to anticipate the other’s suggestions and meld them into a seamless set of research and action. As so much else has in a situation that should feel wrong, it feels very right.

It feels right, too, when Caitlin finds another cot and drags it near his, sleeping within easy reach. It's doesn't feel as _familiar_ as the rest, no. But right.

And then, of course, comes the morning, and Cisco (it can't be anybody else, based on Caitlin's descriptions) wakes them both abruptly, ranting about the same things Harry and Caitlin already covered the night before. The three of them rehash everything, Cisco adding in shockingly (annoyingly) good suggestions here and there.

It's not until he catches Cisco staring that it even occurs to Harry that the casual contact he's been maintaining with Caitlin might not exactly be normal. She did say they were colleagues, after all, and he supposes colleagues don't typically hold hands or put their arms around each other or brush hair from each other’s faces.

“Sorry,” Cisco says, catching Harry’s pointed stare in response to his own, “it's just weird, cause you're _you,_ but you're not you, you know?”

“Enlighten me,” he says dryly, and Caitlin hides a laugh against his shoulder.

“Case in point,” Cisco says, gesturing. “I've been trying to get you two to stop hiding your relationship, and I guess it's like, what, you forgot to hide it? But you didn't forget how you feel.”

“We're not in a…” Caitlin trails off. “Cisco Ramon, did you lock us in the closet on purpose last week?”

“Maybe!” Cisco puts his hands up. “It's just that you two have been acting like a couple for a while now, but it's like you were afraid to really show it. And if you're not into PDA and all, that's fine. Preferable, even,” he quickly amends. “But I thought maybe if I helped make it obvious you two were making out, you'd, I don't know. Stop feeling like you had to hide something.”

Harrison has way too little information and way too many conflicting feelings to respond, so he's glad when Caitlin speaks up.

“Cisco, we aren't together.”

“Not yet,” Harry adds. Maybe he can respond, after all.

“So there's been nothing to hide,” Caitlin finishes.

Cisco looks suspiciously between the two of them before visibly deciding to let it drop (but Harry suspects he won't let it drop for long).

***

Cisco lets it go for three days, which is longer than Harry expects.

“So you're sure you and Caitlin aren't together?”

Harry sighs. “You do realize, Cisco, that you're asking somebody with temporary amnesia about something he cannot possibly verify?”

“Yeah, but I mean… It seems like you know.”

The thought nags at him even after the younger man leaves, because he's right. It does seem like Harry knows. And what he knows is that he is utterly, ridiculously head over heels for Caitlin Snow.

She's brilliant and kind, and she gets his sense of humor, and he'd really, really like to kiss her, any day now. It gets harder and harder to figure out why he hasn't, and she's working so hard to restore his memories that he really doesn't like distracting her with relationship discussions, of all things.

So he waits. He waits as another week passes, pouring himself instead into discussions and debates that feel as natural as breathing, navigating his relationships with his colleagues who feel like friends (and some who feel almost like children) (and also there's his _actual_ child, who's an in-training member of the team, and according to her, he handles _that_ information even worse without a memory), until he finally snaps.

He doesn't ask about their relationship or lack thereof. Of course he doesn't.

Instead, in front of the entire team, he kisses Caitlin soundly.

In his defense, she returns the kiss rather thoroughly.

Somewhere amongst the mixed sounds of encouragement and dismay (and a delightful little sound of appreciation from Caitlin, one he cannot wait to hear again), he feels a dam break, and his memories come rushing back in. When he pulls back to look at Caitlin, he sees all of her, not just the effort and love she's shown this week, but everything he's ever known and loved about her.

“Snow,” he breathes, and her eyes widen.

“That's the first time you've called me that since… Can you remember?”

He nods, and he's considering another kiss when Cisco’s interruption reminds him they aren't even close to alone.

“Don't tell me that was true love’s kiss or something,” Cisco says. “Did that really bring your memories back?”

“We've been working on stimulating his mind,” Caitlin supplies quickly. “We were probably really close, and that just… helped.”

Somehow, during the debates and exams that follow, he and Caitlin don't get any time alone for hours, and when they do, she makes no move to steal a kiss of her own. Instead, she smiles at him, almost sadly.

“I know you weren't yourself when you kissed me,” she says. “I wasn't quite sure I was ready for that, so I get it if you want to pretend it didn't happen.” Her mouth forms a delicate O before she clarifies, “Not that I didn't like the kiss. As kisses go, it was pretty fantastic. But you weren't yourself, and I didn't...”

“Caitlin…” Harry struggles with his words for a moment, taking her hand when she looks ready to flee. It was easier, he thinks, making a move without all the memories, all the knowledge of what could go wrong. That doesn’t mean he thinks he made the wrong choice. “I was entirely myself when I kissed you. Lacking specific memories perhaps, but entirely myself nonetheless.”

Caitlin swallows and nods, and Harry continues. “That being said, it sounds like you might not be entirely sure yet. So we'll wait. And when you're ready, we'll try that again, and I'll show you exactly how much I really want to be with you.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have put so many of his cards on the table, but there they are, and his heart feels like it's pounding in his throat as he waits for a response.

“That sounds good,” she says finally, voice tight in a way that betrays her emotion, and maybe if not for this whole ordeal, he wouldn't have been quite so open, but he can't bring himself to regret it, especially when she steps close, resting against his chest, and he wraps his arms around her.

“Whenever you're ready, Caitlin,” he says softly, and he means it. If he could have her only as friend and colleague, that would be okay, but knowing she wants more and just isn't sure she's ready?

Waiting will be easy enough, especially now that he remembers exactly what he's getting back, who he never lost, even when he couldn't remember who he was.

“Soon, I think,” she says, and he holds her more tightly as she pulls him closer.

They stay like that until Allen and Ramon interrupt, and Harry comforts himself with the promise in her eyes as they pull apart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is missing scenes, and we'll get some flashbacks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 4 Prompt: S3 Missing Scene
> 
> Note: I took some liberties with the timeline, sort of; the difference here is that Harry doesn’t decide to leave when he does in the show, so that changes how/when some things happen. The missing scene here is Caitlin in between freezing her shower and seeking out her mom the next morning. HR isn’t here yet.

Caitlin's not entirely sure, if she's honest, why she decided she wasn't ready yet after that kiss.

It was a pretty amazing kiss.

It was just that it was a lot in the moment. It felt like she was getting everything she wanted, and really…

She's never just been handed everything she wanted, not in her life. She knows she's not being _handed_ this, either, but her gut reaction is still that it was too good to be true. It won’t happen, or she’ll lose it, or everything will change.

So here she is, knowing she and Harry both want a relationship, having a taste of how good it could be, and instead, she's alone in her apartment, overanalyzing every interaction they've ever had.

Meeting Harry, the initial difficulty in separating him from a man she’d known and trusted before being betrayed. Harry saving her from Grodd when he barely knew her. Harry getting shot for simply looking like the wrong person, the same person she associated him with at the beginning.

Less specific moments, too, the kind that build up with any long-term interaction. Times in the lab, working together and things just clicking. Finishing or improving on the other’s thoughts and projects. Late nights and early mornings and crisis after crisis after crisis.

It wasn’t until her powers really kicked in, though, that she realized how much she truly trusted him, not just in a crisis, not just with science or logic or strategy, but with her greatest fears.

_It started innocuously enough, her shower after a long day, the water streaming over her pleasantly, washing away thoughts of the emerging powers she’d rather ignore. Abruptly, though, everything changed; the water froze, her shower solidifying into a solid, crystalline spray. When she emerged, her lips were blue, and her hair held a streak of white._

_She was turning into Killer Frost._

_She cut the offending hair more on impulse than anything; at least this, she could remove, unlike the powers she knew far too little about, along with any side effects that could send her spiraling headlong into her evil counterpart’s personality._

_Afterward, she stared in the mirror, at a loss._

_What next?_

_She quickly dismissed consulting with Barry or Cisco. As good of friends as they were, they both tended to get far too emotional, and that was exactly what she was trying to avoid. She didn’t really want to bother Harry about it, either, despite suspecting he’d keep a level head. No, she’d decided to handle this alone, to hide it until she had a better grasp on what was happening, and that was what she was going to do._

_Caitlin got dressed and gathered her things, heading back to Star Labs. Surely, there were some tests she hadn’t run yet. She started sorting them in her mind and was prioritizing them as she walked into the lab._

_When she realized she wasn’t alone in the room, she stopped short._

_“Harry.”_

_“Snow,” he responded without looking up from where was studying something. “Everything okay?”_

_“Why wouldn’t it be?”_

_“Because you’ve come to Star Labs in the middle of the night and clearly weren’t expecting company.” He looked up, finally, the lights reflecting off his glasses as he made eye contact and waited for a response._

_“I…” She faltered. “I wanted to check something.”_

_He studied her for a minute, and she could almost feel him seeing right through her, seeing exactly why she’d come,_ how _Barry had been freed. He was smart enough to figure out that not everything was as it seemed, knew that she’d been with Barry, knew who her Earth-2 counterpart was. She wasn’t sure what she expected when he finally spoke again, maybe an accusation._

_“Anything I can do to help?”_

_There was something in his voice that helped uncoil the tension forming inside her. It helped her relax enough to realize there was really nothing that she could test tonight, nothing that would be conclusive._

_“Distract me?” was her response, and he looked at her for only a moment before nodding. She caught a glimpse of a reflective surface before he moved closer and sat in one of the lab chairs. Caitlin sat near him, and when she didn’t start talking immediately, he did, his voice steady and calm as he worked through some of his pet theories across his multitude of scientific endeavours._

_It let her focus, him being there and just being himself, let her mind find a path._

_“I think,” she said aloud as the thought pressed at her during a lull, “I need to go see my mom. I haven’t seen her in a long time, and I think it could help.”_

_“If you think it will help,” he answered, “you should go see her.” A measured silence. “I’ve read most of her articles. They’re fascinating.”_

_He knew, didn’t he? And yet, here he was, acting like nothing was different, not even pressing the matter, just hinting at it. Really, it had to take a lot of restraint._

_“She’s a smart woman,” Caitlin responded._

_“No smarter than her daughter, I’m sure,” Harry retorted, almost defensive, and Caitlin felt herself smile. He seemed to consider something for a moment. “You are one of the most capable people I know. Whatever it is going on, I hope your mother helps, but if she doesn’t? I have nothing but faith that you can handle it.”_

_He changed the subject after that, and they chatted until exhaustion finally caught up with her, and as she turned to leave, he spoke once more._

_“Caitlin.” He waited until she turned back to face him, his expression serious. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me.”_

_When she fell asleep that night, his words of faith and encouragement were still with her, and she was optimistic._

_Of course her mother wasn’t actually a help. She pushed Caitlin too far, gave her information she was perfectly capable of figuring out on her own, and as Caitlin left, all she could think about was the contrast between her mother’s reaction - even if she did try to make amends in the last moments - and Harry’s the night before._

_Not that she’d strictly told him everything, but he knew, or at least suspected, and still he was just_ there _and encouraging and exactly what she needed._

_So it was only logical that she sought him out again, that her feet carried her to where she knew he’d be._

_“Snow,” he greeted her when she found him in the Cortex, standing near Cisco’s station. Even the sight of him helped soothe her. She would have to figure out why later, after this all had passed. “Your day was productive, I trust?”_

_“In some ways,” she said, remembering how she and her mom had parted._

_“But less in others.”_

_She nodded. “It was good, I think, overall, but I did some things I regret.”_

_“We all do that, from time to time.” He sent her a wry smile. “Some of us more than others.”_

_“It sort of hammered home how far apart we’ve grown,” she said after a weak smile in return. “My mom didn’t even…” Caitlin shook her head, then leaned back against the desk, and Harrison followed suit. “She didn’t even know that Ronnie died.”_

_“Did you tell her about him?” Harry’s voice was quiet._

_“No,” Caitlin allowed. “Not when it happened. Not until today. I’m not even sure she knew I was married. What sort of mother does that make her, that she didn’t know?” She paused. “What sort of daughter does it make_ me _that I didn’t even think to tell her?”_

_“Family is hard,” Harry said after a moment. “Whether you’re related by blood or by marriage or circumstance, there’s hardly ever a right answer.”_

_Caitlin sighed and nodded, then let a smile pull at her lips. “Jesse seems to be doing well here.” Even if she couldn’t feel good about her own family, she could at least reassure him about his own. She was surprised when he was silent for long seconds._

_“I almost left,” he said quietly. “I was going to take Jesse and go back to Earth-2 after we took care of the Mirror Master.” He looked over at her, his eyes bright as they studied her. “But something stopped me. There was the mystery of how Barry got out of the mirror, for one,” he said, pausing just long enough to confirm he’d put two and two together, “but also, I… I didn’t want us to leave.”_

He came shy of telling her what she knows now, that Earth Prime’s Star Labs and the people in it were his home, his family, were why he didn’t leave, but even then, she picked up on enough of that to get her through, to calm herself and to feel appreciated. Trusted.

Wanted.

Mind back in the present, she makes a choice. First thing in the morning, as soon as she gets to Star Labs, she’ll make sure Harrison Wells knows just how glad she is that he decided his home was on this Earth.

She’ll make sure he knows she’s ready for everything they can be together. Life can be hard, impossible even, and Caitlin is done letting fear control her.

This will be good. _They_ will be good.

Tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 5 Prompt: HR + Harry + Cait Shenanigans, “She is brilliant.”
> 
> Note: Some direct quotes from The Flash episode 3x4 at the beginning here (but remember this is further into the season). I don’t usually do scene rewrites, but this changes with Harry here to stay and him and Caitlin on the precipice of a relationship, and I wanted to set the tone for the rest of the chapter.

Caitlin looks more determined than usual as she enters the lab the next morning, but Harry can’t spare as much of his attention as he’d like.

“There’s a portal opening up from another Earth,” he tells her in lieu of greeting, and she blinks before switching to her normal composed-but-curious professionalism.

“Earth-2?” she asks.

“No,” Cisco answers. “There’s a signal coming through with it, and we’re looking at… Earth-19.”

“Do we know anything about Earth-19?” Wally asks.

“We’re about to find out,” Jesse says.

They’re not taking this seriously, any of them. An unknown visitor from another dimension could be anyone, and Harry raises his oversized gun at the portal (the size, he’s found, is a great deterrent and usually keeps him from having to actually use it). He’s prepared to do what he has to, though, to protect everyone here from whoever is coming through, from someone who could be…

A figure exits the portal, taking everyone in, then speaks in a ridiculous voice: “Greetings, Earthlings.”

Harry lets his gun drop infinitesimally as he stares at the newcomer. As he stares at _himself._

The man by the portal drops his serious expression and breaks into an easy smile. “Just kidding. I don’t really talk like that. I’ve just always wanted to say that. Earthlings.”

Harry can feel any tension in the room (already less than it should’ve been) drain out of it, clearly dispersed by seeing another version of Harrison Wells who is apparently much more juvenile than they’re used to. He can read his own body language, though, and this man isn’t a threat, so he lowers his gun.

“Wells with a sense of humor,” Caitlin says lightly. “That’s new.” She smiles, her eyes shining when he turns back to glare at her, and he finds himself unable to hold the jibe against her.

“Hey, sharpshooter.” He faces forward again as his doppelganger addresses him. “You, you’re… handsome.”

Harry huffs, glancing at Caitlin (not to see whether she agrees, obviously, just to… Damn it). “I know,” he says, reminding himself as well, apparently. “Likewise, I’m sure.” He introduces himself, getting a name in return (HR, really? At least they won’t get their names mixed up), and then, mildly flustered, he starts introducing the rest of the team, probably in more complimentary terms than he would normally. He introduces Cisco and Wally first.

“This is Dr. Caitlin Snow. She is brilliant.”

HR takes her hand, bowing over it and looking much too interested; Harry can still read his body language. “Single,” the man says.

“Don’t…” The word comes out before Harry’s decided what he actually wants to say, and he can feel everyone’s amusement at his expense as he sighs and quickly moves on, getting HR away from Caitlin. “Now,” he says when he’s finished, regaining his equilibrium a bit, “what, may I ask, are you doing here?”

“Sightseeing,” HR says cheerily. He scans everyone’s faces. “You have that on this Earth, don’t you? You see, on my Earth, we do this thing--”

“We know what sightseeing is,” Cisco interrupts. “We just don’t usually do it across dimensions.”

“Oh.” HR seems unfazed. “Well, we don’t either. But I was looking for some, shall we say, inspiration, and my team thought it would be a good idea to come here. We knew you had interdimensional travel, an established Star Labs, and plenty to keep you occupied. I figured I could be inspiration to you, as well, bring new ideas into the mix.” He beams, actually _beams._

The conversation devolves after that, and Harry gestures for Barry and Cisco to join him just outside of the room, where they can still keep an eye on HR, who’s talking animatedly to Caitlin. Harry frowns before turning back to the other two.

“I hate to say this,” he says, “but I don’t think he means any harm. I know you’ve had your bad experiences with people who look like me, but this isn’t…” He trails off as HR slings an arm around Caitlin’s shoulder and follows her to the nearest computer. He can feel Barry and Cisco waiting for his response. “He means you no more harm than I do,” Harry finishes, “but he is a _puppy._ ”

Barry chuckles, and Cisco smirks.

“Does that mean we’re gonna have to clean up after him?” the engineer teases, and Harry sighs.

“It _means,_ Ramon, that while I’m not saying we should share our every secret with him this very moment, I don’t think we need to treat him like a villain, either.”

“Well,” starts Barry, “maybe you can get to know him better, too.” The speedster looks much too mischievous. “You and Caitlin have movie night tonight, right? Why don’t you invite him?”

“Yeah,” Cisco chimes in. “Who better to figure out for sure whether he has any ulterior motives?”

***

Harrison isn’t entirely sure how they got from that point to here: sitting on the couch, with himself and HR at either end and Caitlin in between them, a large bowl of popcorn on her lap.

He remembers staring at the younger men in a clear, if non-verbal, “no,” and then they got Caitlin involved, and then…

Nothing. Clearly, he’s blocked out the memories in self-preservation.

He’d be willing to get them back in exchange for another kiss from Caitlin, though. That had been an excellent way to “wake up” from his memory loss.

With that thought, he focuses back on the present, at the way Caitlin is leaning slightly toward HR to fill him in on the movie they’re going to watch, and Harry feels an irrational surge of jealousy.

Not that he doesn’t think it’s warranted, at least on some level; it’s another version of himself, after all, and the man would have to be impossibly stupid not to see how amazing Caitlin is, and Caitlin clearly enjoys his company.

But Harry and Caitlin don’t have any sort of commitment. What they have is… mostly friendship, with a fantastic kiss and a, “Soon, I think,” thrown in for good measure. And that’s fine, and he wasn’t worried. Now, he wonders whether he should be.

“You have wonderful taste in movies, Caitlin,” HR says, and Caitlin smiles indulgently before turning to face Harry.

“I don’t know, HR,” she says, her lips quirked upward. “Harry here doesn’t always think that.”

“Rarely,” Harry protests. “On rare occasions, we disagree. Like with _Gattaca,_ which Caitlin preferred to _Unending Winter Sky._ ”

“Oh, good call, Caitlin,” HR says, voice dripping with sincerity. “That was definitely the right choice.”

Harry huffs and sits back, ready to cross his arms, instead stilling as Caitlin leans into his side.

Oh.

“I thought so,” Caitlin says, looking up at him, so close that it would take only the space of a heartbeat to press his lips to hers. He wraps his arm around her instead, and she looks back toward the TV, getting comfortable against him.

Harry takes a moment to enjoy it before he looks over at HR, expecting to see defeat or confusion or something that indicates that the man accepts Caitlin as something in the realm of taken (though he hates the implications of the term on some level since Caitlin will always be her own self) (but he can’t deny a thrill at the thought). Instead, the man looks amused and a little smug.

“What?” Harry asks, maybe a little sharper than he means to.

“I was right,” HR says. “Caitlin does have wonderful taste.” He grins, and Harry groans as Caitlin hides a laugh against his chest.

She doesn’t, however, correct HR’s apparent assumption that they’re already together.

The movie starts, but they get only a few minutes in before HR starts making inane comments and comparing it to similar films on Earth-19, and Harry’s not entirely sure what comes over him.

Harry takes a handful of the popcorn from Caitlin and tosses it at HR’s face.

There’s a moment of stunned silence before HR grins and takes the bowl from Caitlin, tossing a spray of popcorn at her and Harry both. Caitlin laughs and lunges for her own ammunition, and then there’s popcorn flying everywhere, and then Caitlin is laughing in Harry’s arms and then leaning up to kiss him.

Thoroughly.

She’s still laughing when she pulls back, just far enough to look him in the eye, and he can’t help a chuckle of his own before snagging another quick kiss.

Then one more.

Then--

\--blinking as a bowl of popcorn is dumped over both of their heads.

“Were we done playing?” HR asks innocently when Harry glares at him.

Caitlin leans against Harry’s chest, laughing, and he wraps his arms around her and decides he’s not _too_ angry at the interruption.

“Yes,” Harry says. “We’re done.”

The three of them clean up (and no, Harry isn’t slowed down every time he finds himself watching Caitlin, or every time she touches him. Not much, anyway) and then settle back in on the couch. Caitlin makes herself at home against Harry’s side, and Harry feels a rush of contentment. He can’t even bring himself to be upset when HR resumes his commentary.

Finally, the movie’s over, and it’s time to go their separate ways. First, they get HR settled in a room in the building. Harry makes sure some of the Lab’s security is activated, safeguarding the equipment and computers without turning HR into a prisoner. When Harry and Caitlin get to their cars, parked next to each other in the overly-large lot, she turns to face him, maybe a foot of space between them.

It’s only natural that he takes her hand while she talks.

“I had fun tonight,” she says.

“Me, too,” he admits, eyes flickering to her lips for a moment. “Are we--”

“I like HR,” she says, and he’s glad her tone tells him she isn’t leading up to a rejection, because his breath catches at just the idea of it. “He’s definitely Harrison Wells: smart, funny, handsome.” A smile plays at her lips. “But all that just reinforced how much I like _you,_ Harry. Because HR is great, but he’s not you, and you’re the only one I wanted to kiss in that room tonight.”

“Snow,” he murmurs, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, “I was _not_ the only one in that room who wanted to kiss you.” He pauses. “I’m glad I’m the one who got to.”

She kisses him again, then, and presses herself against him, and there’s that noise again, the one she made when he got his memories back, and for the first time, he wishes fleetingly that he didn’t share an apartment with a daughter who would tease him mercilessly if he brought Caitlin home right now. If Caitlin offers, he’ll happily follow her home instead (Jesse is, as she’s insisted plenty of times, perfectly capable of spending a night on her own now and again), but for now?

For now, Harrison is quite content making out like two teenagers in the parking lot. Caitlin seems similarly invested in their current activity, pressing into him after a minute, and he totally doesn’t moan when she pulls him backward so she’s leaning against her car and then pulls his hips tight against her.

(He totally does)

When he realizes his hands have slipped under the hem of her shirt and she’s using the band of his jeans as a handhold and they’re a hair's breadth away from removing clothing in a public place, he stops. He’s breathing hard, but so is she (and he refuses to get distracted by how that looks on her, when she’s flushed and still flush against him), and he lowers his forehead to hers and closes his eyes.

“We should probably put this on hold for tonight,” he says.

“I might melt here in the parking lot if we don’t,” Caitlin agrees lightly, and it takes a beat for the humor to register. “You should get home,” she says, and he opens his eyes to see her looking at him. “We have to be back here in about six hours, anyway.”

“I look forward to it,” he says fervently. “After all,” he adds, prompted by the lingering mirth in her expression, “we need to be here to make sure HR doesn’t take over the whole lab.” She laughs, and he almost smiles before he continues. “I can picture it now; we’ll come in tomorrow morning, and the whole place will be decorated in Christmas lights.”

“It’s summertime, Harry.”

“Exactly. I can see him decorating obnoxiously early, can’t you?”

They get distracted again, laughing, then kissing, but finally, finally they part and get into separate vehicles, and as he pulls out of the parking lot behind her, he thinks that somehow, this Earth feels even more like home than it already did.

He can’t wait to see what comes next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is a double date! Because that has no potential for awkwardness whatsoever....


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 6 Prompt: Double Date
> 
> I’ve got the next (final!) chapter about half written and am hoping to finish and post it tomorrow! Thanks, everyone, for your patience!!
> 
> Special thanks again to ClaudiaRain, who basically is just the awesomest.

 

“I have never felt older in my entire life,” Harry murmurs as they walk arm-in-arm into the restaurant behind Barry and Iris, and Caitlin fights a smile.

“It’s just a double date,” Caitlin returns quietly.

“I don’t _do_ double dates, Caitlin,” he says under his breath. He’s being quiet enough that she’s probably the only one who can hear him.

“Then why’d you agree to come?” she asks, curious.

“Because you asked.” His response is automatic, straightforward.

Ridiculously endearing.

“Just relax,” she says as they reach the table. “It’ll be just like being at work.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

She raises an eyebrow at him, and he drops the unsociable front, softening and gesturing for her to slide into the booth before him. As they all finish getting settled, a waiter takes their drink orders, and then the table falls silent.

Neither Harry nor Barry will meet anyone’s eyes, and Iris rolls her eyes when she looks a Caitlin, the gesture only mildly at odds with the fond smile.

“So,” Iris says, and Caitlin’s actually fairly certain it’s only been about ten seconds, but it feels like much longer, “this is fun, huh?”

Barry’s, “Oh, yeah!” sounds genuine enough, and his expression when he looks at his fiancee is almost sickeningly adorable, but then he falls quiet again.

Harry, meanwhile, replies with a gruff, “Sure.” He looks at Caitlin before he huffs and visibly forces himself to relax. They study their menus, chatting about the selection while they make their choices, and after they place their orders, the conversation stops once more.

Barry starts tapping his fork against the table, stopping when he notices everyone’s eyes on him. “This is weird, right?” he asks, looking around. “Why is it weird? We’re all friends here.”

“It probably wasn’t the best choice for mine and Harry’s first date,” Caitlin allows, and Harry turns to look at her.

He looks frustrated. “No, Barry’s right.” He ignores the exaggerated incredulity he must see on Barry’s face, keeping his attention on Caitlin instead. “It’s weird because I’m expecting it to be. This just…” He waves vaguely, then drops his hand in his lap. “This isn’t something I do.” He takes a breath. “But I want to.”

Caitlin studies him, then takes his hand. He grips hers immediately, and she smiles at him. He smiles back, and Caitlin ignores the teasing “aww” noises from across the table. The waiter returns with a basket of bread, claiming attention for a moment, and Harry uses the distraction to lean over and whisper into Caitlin’s ear.

“Being here with you, Caitlin, I don’t feel too old for this.” He pulls back and watches her, waiting for a response.

“Good,” she says lightly, not wanting to betray - in public, at least - just how much that gaze of his can get to her. “Because you’re not too old for this.”

Harry’s eyes drop to her lips, darkening, and Caitlin tries not to think about what _else_ he isn’t too old for. They might not have made it past making out just yet, but Caitlin’s found that scientific interest carries over well into an active imagination, despite the stereotypes.

And her imagination is running wild at the moment.

“Harry and Caitlin, sitting in a tree.” Barry’s singsong voice is quiet enough to avoid drawing attention from other tables, but it’s enough to break the moment, and Caitlin squeezes Harry’s hand before she turns toward their tablemates. She catches Iris elbowing Barry and Barry pretending serious wound as a result, and she can’t help but chuckle.

Of course, it quickly devolves into Harry and Barry insulting each other while Iris eggs them on, Caitlin mostly staying diplomatic but occasionally sneaking in zingers of her own. In other words, it’s business as usual, except that her hand keeps finding Harrison’s, and their fingers are laced atop her thigh as they eat dessert, and she wouldn’t change a thing about this moment.

They get through the rest of the night without any further lapses into awkward silence, and when Harry agrees with Iris that they should all do this again sometime, Caitlin thinks he actually means it.

He drives her home, and her heart races when he gets out of the car with her. She’s a grown woman, and she could just _ask_ whether he wants to come in, stay the night, share her bed. Instead she’s quiet - and it’s comfortable, at least, not like the start of the date - until they reach her door. She turns to look at him then, raising an eyebrow, trying to convey both question and invitation in one.

“I made a mistake,” Harry says, stepping close. Caitlin doesn’t have time to worry before he continues. “I didn’t kiss you senseless when I picked you up this evening.”

She feels her lips twitch. “Well, that would’ve been difficult seeing as Iris picked me up when she got off work so we could do makeup together. Unless you wanted to kiss me like that once we were at the restaurant.”

“It wouldn’t have been my worst decision ever, I don’t think,” he breathes, leaning in. “I’ll do better next time.”

“I look forward to that.” Caitlin has time to swallow before their lips meet, and then they’re kissing, and this kiss is different.

They aren’t at work. There’s nobody around, Caitlin’s neighbors tending toward early bedtimes. And he’s warm against her, hotter as they continue. She backs up so she can lean against her door, dragging him with her to make sure he doesn’t interpret it as retreat, and he takes the opportunity to change the angle. He slips a hand between her head and the door as he tastes her, and Caitlin gives as good as she gets, hooking her fingers into his belt loops and pulling his lower half flush against her while she leans into the kiss.

She’s not really ready for it to end when he starts slowing down, his movements shifting from near-frantic back to controlled before he pulls away far enough to look at her. He looks…

Caitlin chuckles breathlessly as Harry starts smoothing down her hair, and he questions the laugh with a raised eyebrow.

“The great Harrison Wells,” she says, proud at how even her tone is, “completely and utterly dazed by a kiss.”

He smiles for a moment, light and unguarded, before he leans in for another quick kiss. “Completely and utterly,” he agrees. One more kiss - she thinks she initiates this one - and then he groans before stepping back. “Goodnight, Snow,” he says, with enough finality that she doesn’t invite him in, but enough fondness she can’t take offense.

She _can_ be a little bit disappointed and impatient for what comes next, though.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” she says, “and maybe we can do dinner tomorrow night? Just us?” He nods, and it looks like he wants to step closer again, but he stays still, watching as she unlocks and opens her door. “Goodnight, Harry. I had fun tonight.”

“So did I.” He steps forward now, the door partially shut between them, and kisses her one last time.

Caitlin falls asleep that night with the taste of him still on her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowells Week Day 7 Prompt: Free/Previous - Stakeout
> 
> You're all amazing, okay?
> 
> I had so much fun reading this, and every comment has meant so much to me. Thank you for sticking around!!
> 
> Alternating POV this chapter.

Caitlin’s pretty sure dating was easier when she was younger. She remembers being young enough that a kiss meant you were going steady. She remembers how easy it was with Ronnie; some details have faded, maybe, but it seems like they just knew, as soon as they crossed that line, they were in it for good. She’s not sure she’s ever had to actually sit down and have a discussion about whether she was in a relationship.

She’s pretty sure it’s something you’re supposed to be able to figure out.

And, okay, she knows she’s probably overthinking things. Maybe she and Harry haven’t talked about it since anything happened, but they talked about it before, sort of. She knows neither of them is seeing anyone else, and she’s enjoyed the dinners with him at Star Labs every night this week, interspersed with kissing and cuddling when they’re alone. 

Still, there’s been no move toward anything  _ more _ than kissing and cuddling, and it’s starting to get to her. She makes a plan; they’ll go out tonight, when they don’t have anything to do for work or any social obligations, and if it still doesn’t look like they’re going to do any more than middle schoolers, she’ll say something, let him know exactly what - who - she wants.

It’s a good plan, she’s sure of it.

So obviously, a metahuman decides to stir up some trouble, and before she knows it, she’s agreed to change their date to a stakeout.

A stakeout where they’re in a van, with a couch and recliner - Cisco’s doing, of course - and they’re having to watch a deserted block for…

She isn’t even sure, not precisely.

“What are we watching for again?” she asks, adjusting one of the monitors until it’s a little clearer. “I mean, I know who we’re trying to find, but how’s watching this particular spot supposed to help?”

It’s possible she was pouting a little too much to hear parts of the plan. She thinks she earned it. Besides, she was being productive while pouting.

Harry’s smile is understanding rather than condescending, which helps her feel justified. “We’re monitoring for vibrations along the frequency that you said was most likely to help reveal our culprit.”

Caitlin sits on the couch and closes her eyes. “Right.”

She remembers now. They’re pretty sure this meta doesn’t mean to cause problems, and they’re also pretty sure they’ll be able to help the meta, a rare combination. The woman’s powers are nearly the inverse of Rainbow Raider’s; when she makes eye contact with someone, she gets all of that person’s emotions, without any filter on how the feelings are expressed. While one instance of rage did result in a broken fish tank, and an instance of loathing resulted in a pretty loud and public breakup, most of the woman’s appearances seem to have been harder on her than on those around her. Extreme Empath - a working title, Cisco insists - has been spotted sobbing loudly, screaming as she curled into a ball, and lying down to sleep in the middle of a crowded room. 

Caitlin’s heart goes out to her, especially after watching how hard the poor woman works to try to avoid eye contact with anyone. Caitlin wants to help, she really does, and she doesn’t have a good enough reason to put a stranger through this for longer than needed.

She just wishes they’d finally put the pieces together a few days earlier so she and Harry could’ve had tonight to themselves.

The couch shifts as Harry sits next to her, and she leans into his side, opening her eyes so she can watch the monitors. It’s a pretty simple fix, really, if they can find her; Caitlin spent most of the planning time working on a pair of goggles with Cisco, ones that will flash neutralizing wavelengths for Extreme Empath, so quickly that the woman should be able to resume normal function, whatever that may be for her. It’s not a permanent fix, but it’s something.

***

Caitlin’s more tense than usual. Harry knows she wanted tonight with just him, and if he’s honest, he wanted the same. He knows he’s showing his age, but it seems like their first time sleeping together (or  _ not _ sleeping, let’s be real, here) should be at least moderately special, not something they have to sneak away from people for, and not something that’s rushed after a long day has them both damned near ready to pass out.

He hopes it’s only the missed opportunity that’s bothering her. He’s fairly certain she’d tell him if it were anything else. 

Wouldn’t she?

“Is everything okay?” he asks, deciding he’d rather be certain.

Caitlin sighs. “No. Yes. I’m being silly.”

He pauses. “Well, is it yes or is it no? Either way, I doubt you’re being silly.”

She shifts, pulling away from him and twisting to face him. “Are we together, Harry?”

He blinks. “Alright, I stand corrected; you are being silly.”

“I’m serious,” she says, frowning delicately. “I mean, we haven’t really talked about it, not since we started… Whatever we’re doing.” She watches him, expression almost stern for a moment before she seems to deflate. “I know what it looks like, Harry, and I know what it feels like, but I guess I just need to know for sure what it is. Are we friends who kiss? Are we casually dating? Are we working toward a hookup? Or are we—”

“Uh, sorry to interrupt.” Cisco’s voice comes over the comms, but Harry doesn’t break eye contact. “I’m picking up some readings just one block down from where you are and need you to check it out. Oh, and I wasn’t really listening to your conversation, for the record.”

“It’s true,” HR chimes, and Harry swears he feels his eye twitch. “We didn’t turn on your communications channel until we absolutely had to. Of course, we  _ did _ turn it on right in the middle of a rather juicy—”

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Harry says. “We’ll go check it out. One block in which direction, Cisco?”

There’s silence between Harry and Caitlin while they get out of the van, and Harry feels something akin to shock that she could’ve doubted at all what she means to him. Unless, of course, what she was doubting was her own feelings.

“What do you want us to be, Caitlin?” he asks quietly as they walk, aware that they could have an audience but unwilling to wait.

“I want…” she trails off, clearly uncertain about what to say, and Harry slows.

“How about I tell you what I want?” He takes a breath before he continues. “I want a partner, someone to share both personal and professional achievements with. I want someone who reminds me it’s okay to smile, someone who gets my sense of humor. I want someone who’s brilliant, and caring, and logical, and so damned gorgeous that sometimes I forget what I’m saying.”

Caitlin comes to a stop, but she doesn’t turn to look at him yet. “You want me,” she breathes, and something uncoils in him, tension draining from him when she confirms she knows what he meant.

“I want  _ you, _ Snow.” She looks up at him finally, her eyes shining in the streetlight. “I want you in every way you’ll have me.”

He holds his breath, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable as he waits for her response. He’s sure dating was easier when he was younger.

Of course, before she responds, Cisco gives them more directions, mercifully avoiding any mention of their conversation, and within minutes, Harry and Caitlin find a woman crouched down behind a tree. She’s holding her hands over her face and breathing hard.

***

It’s hard to concentrate on the interrupted conversation - as momentous as it felt - with the woman in front of them, clearly terrified, so Caitlin makes an effort to shove everything aside except for her own empathy.

“Don’t be frightened,” she says softly. “We think we know what you’re going through, and we’re here to help. We’ve got something that should cancel out whatever you pick up from us, if you’ll give us a moment.”

Harry lets Caitlin take point, and he comes to stand just behind Caitlin’s elbow, where he’s in reach if needed but not an immediate threat, and Caitlin’s dominant emotion shifts from empathy to appreciation at his quiet thoughtfulness.

Just as the woman’s hands drop and her eyes meet Caitlin’s.

Caitlin watches as the woman’s breath steadies, as her expression softens and her eyes shift between Caitlin and Harry, any trace of fear gone.

“You’re here to help?” she whispers, still looking between them. “I’m so glad it’s the two of you. I love you both so much.”

***

_ “I love you both so much.” _

Love? Both of them? It only takes a moment to process, partly because he’s a genius, and partly because even if he hasn’t necessarily stopped to think about it long enough to commit to a name, he knows what he feels for Caitlin, how strong the emotion has gotten, how long it’s been building. His breath catches, though, at the idea she feels the same.

He can’t help looking at Caitlin, and she’s already watching him.

“You feel that much for me?” It’s definitely not just light shining in Caitlin’s eyes this time.

“Evidently.” He resists the urge to cross his arms or shove his hands into his pockets. Instead, he occupies himself by retrieving the goggles for the empath. “She looked at you, first.” It stops shy of accusation, more question than anything.

“She did,” Caitlin confirms, smiling almost shyly before taking the goggles from Harry and handing them to the woman. “Here, put these on. They should help neutralize any feelings that aren’t your own.”

The empath takes them, then blinks, mouth working like she’s not sure what to say. Her body language has changed, though; she doesn’t look defensive, but no longer is she angled toward them with a soft expression. 

“What’s your name?” Caitlin asks.

“Eva Esposito,” she says, her eyes meeting Harry’s for a moment before returning to Caitlin’s, expression one of wonder.

Her own, he thinks, rather than an emotion borrowed from one of them. 

“Appropriate,” he murmurs. When both women look at him, he shrugs a shoulder. “We were calling you Extreme Empath, so it seems we had the initials right, at least. Also, ‘Esposito’ means ‘exposed,’ and you certainly are good at effecting that.”

Eva’s shoulders slump. “I’m sorry, I—”

“No need to feel sorry.” He stops as he realizes the absurdity of what he’s saying to a woman who dons others’ emotions. “I mean, feel what you want to feel, but certainly more harm’s been done to you than to anyone else. Nobody here expects an apology.”

“Nobody at Star Labs will, either,” Caitlin adds. “We’d like to take you there, see if we can find something that works a little better than the goggles.”

Eva seems overwhelmed, and Harry finds himself wondering whether there’s much that’s more invasive than having other people’s emotions forced upon you. To have that cease after… If Eva’s powers developed shortly after the particle accelerator explosion, it’s been years that the woman’s had to deal with this.

Anybody would be overwhelmed right now.

They lead her back to the van, and she climbs into the front passenger seat. Harry looks at Caitlin, and he knows they can’t take long with Eva waiting, but the words unsaid between them are too loud to ignore.

“To be perfectly clear,” he says, cupping her cheek, “as long as you have no objections, you and I are together, in every way that word can be interpreted.”

Caitlin’s lips twitch, and she leans into his palm. “Are you saying you’re my boyfriend?” The mischief in her eyes only serves to make him want to kiss her even more.

So he does. It’s quick and almost perfunctory, but he doesn’t much trust himself right now.

“If that’s the word you want to use, I’m okay with it. But don’t,” he adds quickly, “expect me to admit that to the team.”

“You know we can still hear you, right?” Cisco sounds exasperated and amused, and Harry closes his eyes, resting his forehead against Caitlin’s.

She doesn’t cooperate very well, laughing enough that it’s hard to maintain the position, made worse when HR speaks up again.

“They’re in  _ love, _ Francisco! They’re allowed to throw caution to the wind and have private conversations in public.”

Harry sighs and opens his eyes, and Caitlin tilts her head so she can kiss him.

_ To hell with it. _ This kiss is longer than the last, stopping only when they remember they have a passenger waiting patiently in the van.

“We should get back to Star Labs,” Caitlin says, voicing his thoughts, and he hums agreement, pressing a last kiss to her forehead before they split up, Caitlin taking the driver’s seat.

Harry doesn’t  _ technically _ have a valid driver’s license on this Earth. He ignores the fact when it suits him, but they probably shouldn’t risk being pulled over tonight.

***

Eva relaxes before they’ve been at the Lab for very long. She gets along well with Jesse and Wally, and she seems fascinated with Cisco’s tech, admitting she was just a semester away from an advanced degree in engineering before her powers made her unable to function in a classroom setting. Cisco immediately switches to both instruction and showing off, and Caitlin seeks out Harry, knowing Eva’s in good hands.

She makes sure she and Harry have both removed their comms, and she looks around to make sure nobody is in earshot.

“So I was thinking,” she says, and based on how his eyes darken she’s pretty sure he already knows where she’s going, “maybe you could come home with me tonight. We don’t need to be anywhere tomorrow, so it’s okay if we just crash. If we fall asleep before we...do anything, we can make up for it when we wake up.”

He steps close, eliminating most of the distance between them. “I’d like nothing more,” he agrees.

Harry loves her, and she loves him - holy crap, she loves him - and it’s terrifying and wonderful and amazing.

“I’m really happy you and Cisco couldn’t agree on movies,” she says, thinking back to where it started, remembering the first time he called this place home.

“So am I, Snow.” 

She kisses him then, as long as she dares, knowing they’ll be interrupted at any moment, and then she and Harry work on different scientific approaches to help Eva. They argue and encourage and complement each other, and maybe their road wasn’t the easiest and most direct, but Caitlin knows she wouldn’t change a thing now that they’re here.

She’s pretty certain Harry would agree.


End file.
